Apparatus for removing smut from grain.



M. TWEDT. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SMUT PROM GRAIN.

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S FOR REMOVING SMUT PROM GRAIN.

APPARATU 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2` @Inventor YllVIIAIR/.LIN' TWEDT, 0F SHELDON, NO RIH DAKOTA.

APPARATUS FOR EtIllYIOVING SMUT FROM GRAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented De. 31, 1912.

Application led September 12, 1911. Serial No. 648,943.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN TwEiyr, citizenof the United States, residing at Shelwhereby the smut is loosened from the grain and separated therefrom, means being provided for recovering the grain and also means vbeing provided for removing the refuse material from the vat.

'With this object in viewl the apparatus includes a vat mounted upon a stand, the said vat having a bottom with.v synclinal side portions.

tomin proper A conveyer is arranged in the vat so that its lower run will move in an upward direction along one of the side portions of the bottom. A hopper is located above the vat and is provided with a feeding mechanism.

A conveyor is arranged at the upper por- `tion of the vat and is adapted to serve as a skimmer for removing the refuse material from the liquid contained in the vat after it has been separated from the grain. A cleaning device is provided for the last mentioned conveyer.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following de- 'scription and accompanying drawing, 1in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan-view of the apparatus; and Fig. 2 isa vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same.y

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawii by the same reference characters.

'he apparatus consists of a vat 1 having its bottom provided with synclinal side portions 2. The said vat is suitably mounted upon a stand 3. The vat 1 is prefepably made from` sheet metal and the side portions of its bottom 'are reinforced by cross boards or strips 4. These boards are designed-to hold the side portions of the. botplanes.

A hopper 5 1s mounted upon the stand 3 over the top of the vat 1 and is provided in its bottom withy a discharge outlet. 6. A

valve 7 is slidably mounted in vthe hopper 5 and is adapted to move over lthe opening 6 and increase or diminish the passageway therethrough. A shaft 8 is journaleo. upon the hopper 5 and is rovided with a crank 9 which is connected }by means of a link 10 with the valve 7. The shaft 8 is provided with a crank handle 11. Thus it will be seen thatcby turning the shaft 8 the link 10 will be moved lon itudinally, whereby the valve 7 will be shi ed and the passageway through the opening 6 may be increased or diminished.

A shaft 12 is journaled in the ends of the hopper 5 and within the hopper is provided vwith a feeder 13. A n inverted V yshaped partition 14 is located in the-hopper above the feeder 13 and its edges are spaced from the bottom of the Vhopper so that grain deposited in the hopper may pass down under the said partition and be engaged by the feeder 13. The feeder 13 is located directly above the discharge outlet 6 in the bottom of the hopper. I

A shaft 16 is journaled upon the frame 3 and is provided at one end with a crank handle 17. The said shaft is also provided with a sprocket wheel 18 and the said shaft.

12 is provided with a sprocket wheel 19. A sprocketk chain 2O is trained around the sprocket wheels 18and 19 and is adapted to transmit rotary movement from the shaft 16 to the shaft 12 and the feeder mounted thereon. l y Strips of angle iron 21 are fixed -to the sides of the vat 1 and are located approximately at the level of the liquid which ythe said vat is to contain. At their outer ends the said strips 21 merge into portions 22 which lie against the upper end portion of one of the synclinal portions of the bottom of the'vat. A shaft 23 is journaled upon the frame 3 and carries a gear wheel 24. A

is journaled at one end of the top of the vat 1 and carries sprocket wheels 27. Sprocket wheels 28 are fixed to the shaft 23 and sprocket chains 29 are trained around the sprocket wheels 27 and 2 8. The chains 29 at the opposite sides of the vat are connected together by cross slats 30 and the said slats are of such a length that when they are at the under runs of the chains they bear at their ends upon the 'angle irons 21and are also adapted to pass over and in contact with the extended portions 22 `of the said irons 21. Idle sprocket wheels l31 are journaled in the sides of the vat l and the lowel runs of the chains 29 pass under the wheels v31. These wheels are located in the vicinity-oi the outer ends of the angle strips 21 and serve to hold the lower runs of the chains down so that the slats 30 are maintained in 'and the lower runs of the chains 29 contact with t-he angle strips 21 as they pass along the same. Sprocket wheels 32 are also journaled at the ends of the top of the vat pass over the sprocket wheels 32 after which the said-chains 29 pass underfand around the wheels -27 hereinbefore described. Therefore it will be seen that when the shaft 16 is ro tated the shaft 23 is also rotated, and consequently the chains 29 and the slats 30 are moved in orbits along the upper portion of the vat 1. The lower runs of the chains 29 move ina direction from the middle portion .of the vat toward the end thereof.

That portion 2 of the bottom of the vat 1 which is opposite the portion 2 upon which is located .the extension strips 22 is provided with strips 33 which are located at the opposite sides of the vat. Brackets 34 are attached to` the inner surfaces of the sides of the vat near the lower portion of the bottom thereof, and sprocket wheels 35 are journaled to the said brackets 34. A shaft 36 is journaled for rotation at the top of the vat and at the opposite Vend thereof from wheels 37. Sprocket chains 38 are ytrained around the sprocket wheels 35 and 37 and are connected together by cross slats 39. The chains 38 and slats 39 are arranged to travel` in orbits with the lower run of theV chain moving in a .direction from the intermediate portion of the vat to the end thereof so that the ends of the strips 33 upon the bottom of the vat 1.

` A sprocket wheel 40 is fixed to the shaftv 36 and a sprocket .wheel 41 is fixed to the shaft 16. A sprocket chain 42 is trained around vvthe sprocket wheels 40 and 41 and serves as means for transmitting rotary'movement from the shaft 16 to the shaft 36. That end of .the vat 1 which is located-below the shaft 36 is known as the delivery end of the vat and it is located above a trunk 43 along which a conveyer 44 is 'arranged to 'travelA and is operatively connected with the shaft 36 in any-suitable manner, as atr 45. Thus as the shaft 36 rotates the conveyer 44 is caused to travel along the trunk 43.

5 In operation liquidis filled into the vat 1 until it assumes' a level approximately at the angle strips 21. In this liquida suitable amount of formaldehyde or other chemical may have previously been incorporated. The grain to be treated is placed in the hopper 5 and the valve 7 is adjusted so.

that the grain may feed in proper quantithe slats 39 will travel along' j mounted at the ends of which floats 1s carried toward the shaft 26,

while the grain precipitates toward the lowest point of the bottom of the vat-1. At the lowest point kof the bottom of the vat the grain which is thus treated is-encountered by the upwardly moving'slats 39 and is c arried up and delivered into /the trunk y43 and is encountered bythe conveyer 44jand carried along the said trunktoany suitable point.

A partition 46 is located. ir'lfthel upper portion of the vat 1 at a pointb'etwe'en the shaft 23 and the shaft 36. The lower edge of this partition is above the upper runs of the chains 38 and the slats 39 carried thereby and the said partition is adapted to prevent the material which is separated from-the grain and which ioats from mixing with the grain as it is being carried up along one of the inclined portions vof the bottom of the vat 1 toward the delivery end thereof. Arms 47 are fixed to oneend of the frame 3 and a 4frame 48 is pivoted between the said arms. Springs 49 engage the frame 48 and serve to hold the same in a normal position. Flexible strips 50 of nubber or suitable material are carried upon the frame 48 and project into the paths of movement of the slats 30. Therefore as the slats pass the-said strips 50 they come in contact with the lsame and any material that may adhere to the slats is thus swept from the same.

Having thus described the invention, what isr claimed as new is:

.1. An apparatus for treating grain comprising a vat, oppositely disposed, parallel laterally spaced tracks extendingl horizontally across the vat at the level of the water line thereof, sprocket wheels disposed at the .opposite ends of the tracks, a skimmer including an endless belt passing over said Wheels and having its lower run extending horizontally and having its side edges mounted for movement upon said tracks, said belt having outwardly projecting slats.`

2. An apparatusfor treating grain comprising a vat, loppositely disposed', laterally spaced tracks extending horizontally across the vat at the level of the water line therein, belt supporting wheels the track, belt supporting and driving wheels mounted above the track and beyond the adjacent extremity of the vat, a flexible conveyer forming a skimmer andv parallel passing over said wheels and having outwardly projecting slats, the ends of said slats on the lower run of the conveyer being supported upon said tracks, a

` hopper located above the vat and arranged to discharge material into the same through the horizontal runs of the skimmer, and feeding means disposed within said hopper.

3, An apparatus for treating grain comprising a vat, a skimmer having a run mounted for horizontal movement in the vat, said skimmer including an endless con veyer formed with outwardly projecting slats, supporting rollers holding the lower run .of the conveyer parallel to the water kline of the vat, a roller mounted upon the upper end of the vat adjacent to the outer end of said run and over which 4the conveyer passes, and a roller mounted beyond the end of the vat and slightly above the last named roller and over and a cleaning supporting member having which the conveyer passes, device including a pivotal a cleaningl terminal portion engaging said conveyer between the second and rollers, and means its terminal the conveyer.

last named supportmg holding the portion in yielding contact with member with In testimony whereof I aliX my signature 25 in presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN TW Witnesses;

GEO. S. MA'rrEsoN, LEwIs EDINGER.

EDT. [a 8.] 

